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The 5 Books To Read If You Love 'Game Of Thrones,' According To The Author

Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin has recommended five books for Game of Thrones fans as part of #ReadingIsLit, a collaborative campaign from the New York Public Library (NYPL) and HBO. Since we still have the summer and a long, grueling winter to get through before Game of Thrones returns next year, let's all be thankful that G.R.R.M. has given us a short reading list to entertain us while the on-screen adventures of John and Danaerys prepare to draw to a close.

According to the library's website, NYPL's #ReadingIsLit campaign aims "to put the spotlight on reading" and "[d]iscover the power of storytelling in the books that inspired your favorite shows and movies." In addition to this Game of Thrones content, the campaign also includes book lists related to Sharp Objects, Big Little Lies, and My Brilliant Friend, among other book-to-screen adaptations.

George R.R. Martin also recommended his five favorite books to NYPL readers. Most of his faves are classics, with just one fantasy volume thrown into the mix. For readers who want to enjoy the author's favorite books, G.R.R.M. recommends The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, which also appears on the list below.

Check out G.R.R.M.'s short list of of book recommendations for Game of Thrones fans:

'The Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien's epic classic follows a group of nine adventurers from the peaceful worlds of the Shire and Rivendell into the dark recesses of Mordor, on a quest to destroy the One Ring.

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'Watership Down' by Richard Adams

When the timid, clairvoyant buck known as Fiver sees disaster coming to the warren, he attempts to alert his family's leadership, only to be turned away. Determined to evacuate, Fiver and his nine allies set out from the warren in search of a new home.

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'The Once and Future King' by T.H. White

Based on Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, This collection of Arthurian legends begins with Arthur's training under Merlin in The Sword and the Stone.

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'Lord of Light' by Roger Zelazny

Long after the Earth has died, the last remnants of humanity have used technology to become immortal and rule over the indigenous races of their new homeworld as Hindu gods. Only Sam — the eponymous Lord of Light, who has also been known by many other names — is willing to break the caste system and bring equality to the world.

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'A Wizard of Earthsea' by Ursula K. Le Guin

The first of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels, A Wizard of Earthsea centers on Ged, a young boy of common birth who is sent to a wizarding school to hone his abilities.

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